


True, But Irrelevant

by exyjunkies



Category: All For the Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Awkward Flirting, Bad Pick-Up Lines, Break Up, But whatever, M/M, Online Dating, Post-Break Up, Relationship Advice, Speed Dating, also this is not proofread, lmao sorry, okay maybe not so subtle, tagging andreil because i can't help putting the subtle references to them
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 08:47:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6976198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/exyjunkies/pseuds/exyjunkies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thea breaks up with Kevin, and the Foxes are left to deal with the aftermath.</p>
            </blockquote>





	True, But Irrelevant

**Author's Note:**

> I love the idea of the Foxes baby-ing Kevin because he is their precious sweetheart!!!!!! P.S. This takes place directly after TKM.

The Foxes, after their NCAA championship win, went out to celebrate. Dan had initially thought that Andrew's lot wouldn't join them, but after seeing Neil shoot Andrew a questioning look, which Andrew duly answered with a nod like he couldn't care less, they all ended up going to Sweetie's together. The group had taken the L-shaped booth again, with Andrew taking one end of the booth. Beside Andrew sat Neil, Nicky, Renee, Allison, and then Dan beside Matt, who sat on the other end. Nicky excitedly rambled on about how his Twitter feed was "going crazy" with content about the Foxes and their "amazing" comeback. Renee, in virtue of the celebratory win, had decided to wear a dress. Katelyn had texted Dan that Aaron wouldn't be joining them, so that left them with four of the five "monsters".

Well, supposedly.

"Where the _hell_ is Kevin?" Allison asked over the menu, eyeing Andrew and Neil suspiciously.

"Who am I, his caretaker?" Andrew rudely replied, which earned an eye-roll from Neil. Before he could set Allison off anymore, Neil put his hand on Andrew's arm and squeezed, which visibly calmed him down a little. Matt smirked at the gesture and waggled his eyebrows at Dan. "We don't know, Allison," Neil answered, checking his phone. Even he was getting irked by the minute. Kevin would text if anything had happened to him. 

"The last time I saw him, he was answering questions for the press," Nicky said, waving a hand dismissively. "You know how nosy those paps are. He's probably trying to get out of it as fast as he can."

Renee and Matt nodded silently in agreement. The Foxes making it to the top would, without a doubt, put a journalist target on Kevin's back. A former Exy national champion bringing a seemingly hopeless college team all the way to number one was definitely material worth writing about. Questions about how he "persevered to pull a mediocre-at-best Exy team from the ground up", how "Josten, the other striker, must have been a tough case to handle" as well as inquiries regarding "his feelings towards the Ravens" would be among what he already had memorized answers for. They wouldn't be surprised if Kevin wanted to stay in his room after his fame dies down enough for him to be able to lay low. 

Allison, satisfied with this explanation, turned her attention back to the menu. "Fine. But I'm ordering without him. I'm starving." And before Andrew could open his mouth to contradict her, Allison raised a finger to shush him. "And because some of us are  _actual mature adults_ , we're getting an actual dinner here. The ice cream special can wait."

Andrew's expression darkened, but he stowed his anger and knew better than to ruin this for Neil. Instead, he settled for a well-meaning glare at Allison as he spat out sarcastically, "At last, she acknowledges her immaturity." He pulled out a cigarette and stood up, going outside Sweetie's. Neil sighed and looked at Allison apologetically before following Andrew outside. 

"He's really tamed that monster, hasn't he," Dan said thoughtfully. She shook her head. "And here I was, thinking it was entirely impossible for someone to do that."

"Andrew's really grown from the person he was two years ago," Renee agreed wistfully. "I still remember fragments of how he was when he was trying to fix Matt."

Matt cringed a little at the memory, the bad parts of such a time still clearly standing out. Andrew had taken him to Columbia and gotten him to take cracker dust and speedballs; an incident Dan initially thought was a cruel attempt to thrust Matt into a downward spiral, but was actually intended to help Matt get back on his feet, sober and recovered. Matt never understood his methods and why they _actually_  worked, but ever since then, he's the one most willing to reach out to Andrew's lot. A small, grateful smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "I can never repay that monster for getting me out of the mess I used to be in." Matt said.

"Okay, okay, enough with the reminiscing. Let's order," Allison interrupted, but even she couldn't deny that she had expected Andrew to lash out worse than he did.  _Neil Josten, you're probably one hell of a boyfriend,_ she thought to herself with pride.  _Seth, wherever you are, if you're hearing this, you owe me ten bucks_.

It took all of fifteen minutes for the Foxes to decide on their orders. Allison waited, tapping her heel impatiently on the floor, until everybody was set, then called the waiter to their table.

Before she could give the first order, however, Neil ran in, fast enough to stop it, and said in one quick breath, "Kevin got dumped."

* * *

They found out more about it back at Fox Tower. Apparently, an Exy couple breaking up was enough to be among the headlines of the evening news. They sat and watched, dumbfounded, and picked at the Chinese takeout they had decided on for dinner. Dan had put aside the thought of eating by standing up and pacing the room, worrying about her teammate. 

"The trends have changed," Nicky remarked, scrolling down his Twitter feed with a pout. "It looks like they've forgotten all about how we won." The articles online didn't even pay tribute to the Foxes anymore, but to "Thea and her Exy Ex" and "Kevin Day-m!: Ex-Raven Now Single". "Kevin Day Is One S-Exy Man" made it across every social media platform possible.

"Damn it." Dan said, thinking about how Wymack must be dealing with the press right now. "I'll call Coach."

"I really thought he and Thea were a good thing," Neil commented, before slurping on a noodle. Andrew, who was sitting beside him, chewed quietly, not caring enough to contribute anything of substance except a German, "Do I go look for him?" 

"If you feel like you need to, then go," Neil replied. Then, sensing a vibe of worry from Andrew despite his apathetic gaze, he added a reassurance in English, "Stop worrying. He can take care of himself." Andrew nodded silently, stood up and left the room. Nicky pointed at the television screen. "There hasn't been any pictures of Kevin mourning his loss in a bar somewhere, so we're good." he said, trying to keep things positive.

"For now," Allison snapped, coming into the living room to join them. "You know how the fans are. Once they see the magnificent Kevin Day out in the wild, pictures will be up on the Internet faster than we can say Exy."

That statement didn't really help anyone, least of all Dan, whose footfalls were getting progressively louder as she continued to walk back and forth across the room. Wymack had chosen to ignore her every time she called, so each time it went to voicemail, she got increasingly more frustrated. The worst that could happen for the team is bad publicity, but Dan worried about what Kevin himself might be up to without Andrew right beside him. She understood, from her point of view, that Andrew kept Kevin out of trouble, but the monster probably doesn't understand enough about relationships to know what a break up does to a person. Dan wasn't exactly sure if Andrew even _considered_ Neil as someone he was in a relationship with. She knew Kevin needed time alone and comfort, and with the former choice being scary enough, Dan didn't even want to know what Andrew's version of the latter was.

"Neil, are you sure sending Andrew after him is the best move?" Dan asked, panicking and, it seemed, almost at the end of her wits.  _If Andrew drags him to Columbia, I swear to God—_

After a while, Neil said, "No, but the fact that Andrew cared enough to ask if he should go look for Kevin says something."

* * *

Andrew drove down the streets of South Carolina, looking for one of the few people he vowed to protect. Deep inside, he was seething at himself for not having foreseen this. Kevin wasn't one of the obvious beings that walked the Earth, but Andrew secretly prided himself on knowing what was going to happen before it happened. How Andrew went about his business was a phenomenon nobody was capable of understanding. His ability to shut down goals according to a number that Wymack would randomly tell him was something he could never explain to anyone, not even Neil. Still, Andrew supposed it was justified if Neil was to blame for his being distracted from Kevin's life.

He would never admit this out loud, but he was _so damn grateful_ for that dark-haired, blue-eyed distraction. Andrew hated him so much that sometimes, he couldn't even breathe.

Shaking his head, Andrew focused his eyes on the road as he brought himself back to the reality he was in. Thinking back to a possible location where Kevin could possibly mope, Andrew considered his options. Kevin was a predictable man; his situations weren't, but how he acted towards them could easily be figured out. He could either be at the Foxhole Court, shooting balls into the goal and running himself into the ground until he was dead-tired, or he could also be...

 _Oh_. Andrew mentally face-palmed himself. He didn't know if he was pissed at himself for not coming to the conclusion sooner, or annoyed that Kevin was _this_ unsurprising. There was only one other thing he enjoyed doing in his free time besides religiously study the pages of his history books.  _Kevin Day, you huge pain in the ass_. 

* * *

It was nearly midnight, and Kevin convinced the staff at Exites to wait a little longer before they closed the store for the night. The four-storey shop held all kinds of Exy gear, but Kevin stationed himself by the racks of racquets. The owner of Exites looked at him every now and then, both concerned and unsure about what to do, but he let him stay, because it wasn't everyday that  _the_ Kevin Day graced their establishment.

Kevin wasn't sure if he could stay any longer, but he allowed himself just a few more minutes. He knew his behavior was irrational and growing more ridiculous by the minute, but he couldn't find it in himself to go back to Fox Tower just yet. Kevin knew Dan's blood pressure was probably rising by the hour, but he didn't really feel like he cared. Staring blankly at the backliner racquets, he thought back to what transpired earlier that night.

The break up was quick, but not entirely painless. The only thing Kevin was sure of was that he didn't see it coming. He can now officially testify to how it hurts more when it isn't expected. They saw each other a few minutes after the press released Kevin and went in search of other players to interview. Thea had texted him to meet outside at the back of the stadium. Kevin had gone up to Thea and said hi, smiling from ear to ear, smiling like it was the first time he's ever smiled, smiling like he was actually  _happy_ for once, when Thea said it. 

" _Kev', I'm sorry this has to happen. But we need to stop this._ "

Kevin couldn't remember the rest of the conversation without remembering the anger he felt at the time. He recalled how Thea looked far from how people should look like during a break up; in place of the grief-stricken, crying face, Thea held an almost blank stare. She at least had the grace to look ashamed for ruining what was supposed to be a great night. Kevin understood Thea's reasons, which she didn't even have to explain; the Ravens didn't want anyone, even alumni, to be associated with the Foxes, and even more so, now that they had won the championships. Once they catch wind of Thea and Kevin's relationship, speculations will arise faster than they could deny it. They will never stop seeing the Foxes as rivals, and Thea was still a Raven, even if she didn't play for them anymore. Kevin just didn't understand why it was necessary that Thea did it directly _after_ one of the best moments in his Exy life, when she could've waited a few weeks. Or even a month.

" _Why now?_ " was all Kevin could muster.

" _I didn't want to do it before_." And Kevin saw her exhale and straighten posture as she walked away.

If Thea had thought that the win would be enough to keep Kevin from feeling any kind of sadness, she was wrong. 

It's not even her he was sad about, Kevin thought dismally, interlacing his fingers together and bowing his head. He wasn't entirely sure if he could call it sadness either. Kevin tried his best to reach inside and determine what he was feeling. Disappointment in himself, maybe. Disappointment in the fact that he let a girl ruin his great, shiny Exy championship win. Disappointment in how his remarkable achievements with his failure of an Exy team weren't enough; that the Foxes, now redeemed and levels better from how they were years ago, seemed worlds away from the emotional dump he was in.

Mostly, he felt lost. Exy was his entire identity; after what happened tonight, Kevin wasn't even sure he knew himself.

"Kevin Day, you rat bastard," the cold, accusing tone from behind him shook Kevin out of his thoughts.

"Go away, Andrew," Kevin replied quietly, refusing to look up from his prayer-like position. 

"And leave you here moping in front of backliner racquets? Which, by the way," Andrew walked up beside him, touching a racquet, "is one of the most cliché places for you to be right now. Replacing the girlfriend with her position's gear? I know you have enough cash on you, and it's common knowledge that you've got the biggest Exy hard-on ever, but that can't be right."

Kevin visibly cringed at the comment. "Get the hell out of here," he slurred, standing up from where he was sitting. Andrew heard the alcoholic undertone in his voice and shook his head. He walked after Kevin and grabbed him by the collar.

" _Do not_ fucking try me tonight, Kevin," Andrew said venomously, shoving Kevin to the nearest possible wall. "It's very late, and the Foxes will wonder if you don't get back as soon as possible. Maybe I'll end up telling them I actually had to kill you."

Kevin spat in his face, and Andrew made a face. "Fuck you."

"Disgusting. Did that Raven girl take all your class away too?" He clucked his tongue and let Kevin go. After a few moments, he turned and started walking away as he said, "Whatever. If you don't want to come back with me, that's fi _—"_

"If you were me, what would you do?"

Andrew stopped moving. Kevin asked it like it was a genuine question, not like he meant to incriminate him. 

Turning around, Andrew casually replied, "I would get the fuck out of here, and stop wasting my friend Andrew's time."

Kevin tried a different approach. He hoped he wasn't digging himself an early grave. Stepping forward and mustering all the courage in the world, he asked, "What if Neil had left you?"

Andrew said dismissively, "Isn't it obvious? I'd be fucking _overjoyed_." The response sounded too automatic for it to be genuine, and Kevin could see it somewhere in Andrew's eyes; he had struck a nerve in the blond man. It helped his answer even less when Andrew looked like he couldn't believe himself.

"Oh really? Does it ever bother you that Neil has it in his blood to be a runaway?" Kevin pressed further, seeing Andrew's anger boil as his shoulders tensed. Stepping up to Andrew, he put his finger on his chest. "He still has that binder with him, remember? One of these days, he can just," then Kevin poked at Andrew's chest to emphasize, "up. and. leave."

"Shut. up." Andrew's fists tightened, his knuckles turning white. His restraint was faltering to make way for the part of Andrew that wanted to see Kevin _suffer_. Kevin bravely continued his spiel.

"You don't have much experience with people who _stay_ , do you? What makes you think that Neil's going to be different? What makes you think he's going to be with you forever?" Kevin then put his face dangerously close to Andrew's for the finale. "What makes you think Neil  _loves_ you?"

Andrew's fist was in his face before he could say anything else.

* * *

Dan had answered the door when Andrew knocked on Room 321. Kevin's arm was slung over his shoulder, and Dan's eyes widened. The rest of the Foxes had taken up their own places in the living room, and Neil stood up when he saw Andrew. Andrew only looked at him briefly before he said sharply, "I don't remember most of you being allowed in our room," before dumping Kevin on one of the bean bag chairs in the living room and making his way to the bedroom.

None of the Foxes had expected Kevin to be back until morning, but what was more unexpected was the huge black eye. Dan was already dialing Wymack to update him. When Nicky asked loudly and worriedly about who did it, Andrew had no problem clarifying the striker's face injury. "I punched him, don't worry," Andrew shouted from the bedroom.

"He was probably being a complete asshole," Aaron said when Allison looked to him for an explanation. Dan glared at him because he thought it was actually _okay_ that this happened. Aaron shrugged. "He's Kevin. It happens."

"That's one hell of a right hook, Andrew," Matt remarked, wrinkling his nose at how bad Kevin's face looked. "He must have really set you off."

"Well, at least he's okay." Renee said, sighing with relief. "It's time we go back to our rooms now." In the direction of the bedroom, she shouted, "Sorry for barging in, Andrew!"

The rest of the Foxes filed out after Renee's departure, leaving Neil alone with Kevin in the living room. Neil inspected his eye one more time and winced. "What the hell did you say to him to make it this bad?" Neil mumbled, and made his way to the bedroom.

Andrew had taken off his armbands and put them on the bed beside him. Neil saw he was flexing his fingers, and sat down beside him. "Do you want ice with that?"

"No, smartass. I do not want ice with this." Andrew spat back, with none of the hostility it was intended to have.

"What happened back there?" Neil pressed, taking Andrew's hand in his and inspecting it. Andrew shot him a look for having touched him, but did nothing to take his hand back.

"He was a total jackass. Said things that were way out of line." Andrew replied, shaking his head. "After all I've done for that asshole, you'd think he knows what his limits are."

Neil rolled his eyes. " _You?_ Talking about limits? What a hypocrite." He gave a small smile at Andrew's disbelieving eyes. "It's okay, he probably deserved it. I mean, you'd never break your promise to protect him if there wasn't a reason."

"I promised to protect him from the Moriyamas," Andrew clarified. "When he deals with me, he deals with me. And honestly, Kevin just needs to sleep this shit off." he added pointedly, and Neil left it at that. He lightly massaged the muscles in Andrew's hand, taking care not to hurt him. Andrew exhaled with relief, and closed his eyes as Neil continued rubbing small circles in his knuckles with his thumbs. Neil ran his thumbs down each of Andrew's fingers, expertly undoing the knots in the muscles.

After a couple moments of silence, Andrew opened his eyes and looked down; Neil suspected he was trying to hide his vulnerability, but said nothing about it. Andrew cleared his throat, and asked quietly, "Can I ask a question?"

Neil nodded and waited; Andrew's tone sounded serious. The hand massaging slowed to a stop, and Neil put his hands back on his lap. As if considering his words, Andrew took a breath before asking, "Do you ever still feel like running away from here?"

The question was tinged with insecurity and was so _out of nowhere_ that it made Neil's heart skip a beat. It took a while for Neil to put the pieces together. With the break up being fresh as it was, it made complete and total sense. Neil was grateful then, that Andrew had resorted to _at least_ one punch. He was also slightly endeared by the fact that Andrew had decided that violence was the best answer to whatever verbal blows Kevin had landed. Neil figured that whatever Kevin had said about him had actually made enough sense for Andrew to see red. _Kevin Day, you're a complete shitface_. "No. I told you already, remember? I'm done running. And you," he poked Andrew's nose, "are going to have to work much harder than _that_ to get rid of me."

Andrew scowled at him. "Watch yourself, Josten. You're at 135%," he warned Neil. "When this hand gets better, I'm _definitely_ going to have to kill you."

When Neil saw Andrew visibly relax at his answer, he figured he was going to stay alive for quite a while. Neil whispered, "Yes or no?" and when Andrew nodded, Neil put his hand around the back of his neck and kissed him with all the reassurance he could muster. Putting his forehead against Andrew's, he closed his eyes and whispered, "Stop worrying," before standing up and going to the bathroom.

Before he fell asleep that night, Neil also thought that if Kevin was willing to provoke Andrew into hurting him, then the break up must have been a _really_ big deal.


End file.
